https://www.youtube.com/live/NkRvfSGq0Qk?si=Ry5602vOBlpjxeWD - Learned hopelessness = passive suicidality. - LH: develops from a lack of agency. - Lack of agency means people feel they cannot achieve stuff, when given roadmap/ advice, feel impossible to complete. - Similar in addiction: people feel that the opportunity cost / opportunities they have available to them are low. So will maximise pleasure from addictions - Sense of downward trajectory in life. - Agency= belief, not fact in self efficacy m. - We have agency over our actions/process, but not the external outcomes.   - Tried a lot of things but not working. - Agency + roadmap counters learned hopelessness. - Suicide often very impulsive choice: - Having suicide means often relieves anxiety, as sense of agency when none other left - Addiction behaviours like this too. - Reducing anhedonia, increasing dopamine sensitivity can make negative things into positive ones.  - Internally focused rewards: Imagine how nice it would be to not worry about this tomorrow. - Fewer goals increases feeling of reward. - Lower you are with overarching goal, the more **total progress** you have to make. - "Even though I've achieved this, I still have to do all of this". - **The more things you have to do = the less reward/reinforcement you get from progress**. - [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38423829/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38423829/) The computational structure of consummatory anhedonia - Anhedonia is a reduction in enjoyment, motivation, or interest. It is common across mental health disorders and a harbinger of poor treatment outcomes. The enjoyment aspect, termed 'consummatory anhedonia', in particular poses fundamental questions about how the brain constructs rewards: what processes determine how intensely a reward is experienced? Here, we outline limitations of existing computational conceptualisations of consummatory anhedonia. We then suggest a richer reinforcement learning (RL) account of consummatory anhedonia with a reconceptualisation of subjective hedonic experience in terms of goal progress. This accounts qualitatively for the impact of stress, dysfunctional cognitions, and maladaptive beliefs on hedonic experience. The model also offers new views on the treatments for anhedonia. - diminished pleasure experienced during events, ’consummatory anhedonia’ - Liking: anticipatory components, such as the diminished interest in the events from afar, - Wanting: or the motivation to pursue the rewards, termed ’motivational anhedonia’ - Core argument: Events/outcomes that increase the perceived distance to goals/values reduces hedonic experience by reducing perceived progress of self-fulfilment. - Anhedonia - Blunting of reward function due to opioid system alteration. - Increased sensitivity to losses, particularly effort costs, possibly due to inflammation/dompamine changes. - Key points - To increase progress reward: - Anticipate internal rewards / punishments for behaviour. - A bias towards the positive + action - Reward yourself for making progress, don’t get overwhelmed with overarching goals. - In your mind, don’t let other goals pollute the goal you are working on. - On a given day, be microscopic when measuring your goals/progress. Not looking at the big picture. - Developing a sense of agency: Through behaviours, learn that YOU are the only person in control of your behaviours. - When rewarding yourself with an external reward (party, watching TV). BE CAREFUL not to just tell yourself "I'll just do external reward without desired behaviour. - PRIMARY REINFORCEMENT SHOULD COME FROM THE PROCESS. - Analysis paralysis: getting stuck and unable to make a decision due to overthinking, researching, and weighing too many options or potential negative outcomes, often driven by anxiety or perfectionism, preventing any action from being taken. - Success is achieved through experience/action and iteration. Not perfect planning. - Be very careful how you set your goals when depressed. Biggest handicap is not getting any reinforcement from progress (goals are too large/vague). - Life can get EASIER and BETTER. - When done well, making life better doesn’t take more energy. - Do this by engaging effort with dopamine system. Being addicted to progress. #Depression